prisoner of azkaban

Sunbury Press: In September 2014, you came to Sunbury Press bookstore to celebrate the completion of the filming of The Cursed Man and Sunbury Press’ 10th anniversary. Can you tell us what that day was like?

Brahm Gallagher: It was an absolute honor to be a part of the 10th Anniversary as well as be able to support Keith at the book signing. Plus the chance to meet the man who wrote The Cursed Man was not an opportunity to be missed! I’m very thankful to Keith for writing a character that spoke to me and who, although was very troubled on the page, is at his heart someone who is trying to do good in the only way that he sees how at this point. It was also amazing to meet the fans who were fans already and hopefully some more that very soon will be.

SP: Alister, the lead character in The Cursed Man is a complex character. Can you tell readers how you prepared for such a complex role and managed to capture the essence of the character?

BG: I relied heavily on the book and in turn the script which was basically at its core a transcription of the written novel. I referred to the script countless times, over and over, and looked at hours of footage and interviews with incarcerated killers, both at the time of their arrests and subsequent interviews years later after spending time incarcerated; to find an essence of the isolation that Alister has imparted on himself based of his fear of the curse. What would that time of solitary do to a person? How would shutting out the world manifest itself in one’s being? Alister has chosen a path that only he can walk down till it is interrupted by the good Doctor. Those areas of mental cognizance were where most of my research went but I also wanted to know the feeling of being hungry for release from something so I lost twenty pounds in one month before the start of shooting by only eating baby food. Who would have known I’d be required to maintain that weight loss for nearly 4.5 months?!!? *chuckles*

SP: If you had to describe what genre The Cursed Man is and compare it to a more, well-known movie previously released movie or novel, what would that be?

BG: I believe it to be a psychological thriller. The monster affectation was added by our director but I always believed the demons to be in Alister’s mind. As an actor, I can only control the character and try to manipulate the world that I am thrust into, so for me, it was always about the anguish that Alister has lived through and continues to see through his own warped perspective. Looking at the story with that in mind, I can almost see parallels to the Stanford Experiment and to some extent Shutter Island – how the mind is the institution that holds Alister in check and is also his worst enemy.

SP: What was the biggest challenge you had bringing Alister to life?

BG: The production schedule was rough. An absolute hard experience to endure. Not just taking into account the sustained loss of weight but the mental toll, and trying to determine which reality Alister was in dependent on what we were shooting that day. It was also made more difficult by the very independent style in which the film was made. We would work flat out for a few days … running … then there would be a break in shooting, sometimes for an undetermined length of time, then we’d have to jump right back in and go full bore again. It went on and on. The struggle of holding onto Alister’s ever loosening grip on “reality” as well as determining what state he was in as timelines shift throughout the story was a real challenge.

SP: If there is a message you wanted to convey to the people reading this interview, what would that be?

BG: This film was a truly independent filmmaking endeavor based on a brilliant independently written book that hopefully will spark in the mind of the viewer/reader. There is a place for pieces such as this in our oversaturated, glam-style, pretty consumer society. Sometimes truths that are hidden aren’t also pretty or glamorous and mental trauma in whatever form it manifests is not to be taken lightly and we should be looking for ways to assist those suffering from it instead of ostracizing them for it.

SP: We know of something big on the horizon for you. Please tell the reading audience what you are up to and what you have coming in the near future.

BG: I’m not too sure how big it is at the moment but I have filmed a role for a certain show revolving around thrones with the very distinct hope of returning to that far off land again. I’ve also relocated from Los Angeles to the UK where I have had the great fortune to film a role with the BBC for an upcoming Sunday night drama series and also to work in Ireland, albeit briefly. I’m hoping to get back to other areas of Ireland again very soon.

SP: Would you recommend to people that they read the novel before or after seeing The Cursed Man Movie?

BG: I think that is a matter of personal taste. As I have no idea of what the finished film is going to be you may get a better understanding of the story from the book but I’d hope that Alister is both as alive to the audience onscreen as he was to me in the book.

SP: Without revealing any spoiler, what is your favorite part of The Cursed Man story or concept?

BG: The complete lack of knowing. Knowing what is real, what is not, what is real but only to one specific character at the time. The feeling of needing to know what the outcome will be because you don’t know where you are at the present. That’s a lot of fun in both a film and a book.

SP: If people wanted to follow what you’re doing, please let them know where they can keep tabs on you.

BG: Though I’m admittedly not the best at it I am on social media, but only one site. I don’t tweet, or instagram, snapchat, or use any other sites as I’m not sure I’d have the self-restraint not to say exactly what I’m thinking all the time if it was available to me. I believe mystery is still one of an actor’s greatest assets; knowing too much about a person can muddle the lines, eliminate the delineation of characters I play, and steal some of that mystery. Plus I like to keep people guessing, it’s my job.

About the Premiere:
World Premiere of THE CURSED MAN movie – Alex Theatre in Glendale, CA. Halloween Night October 31, 2016 – 7pm to 11pm – Party before and after. This may be the greatest movie premiere on Halloween Night in the History of the Alex Theatre. For more information about the venue, please see: http://www.alextheatre.org/

About the Book:
Alister Kunkle believes death is in love with him. A simple smile from friend or stranger is all it takes to encourage death to kill.

With his family deceased and a path of destruction behind him, Alister sits inside a mental institution, sworn to silence and separated from the rest of the world, haunted by his inability to escape death’s preferential treatment.

But when a beautiful psychologist arrives at the institution and starts offering him care, Alister braces himself for more killings. When none follow, he tries to figure out whether he truly is insane or if death has finally come to him in the form of a woman.

About the Author:
Keith Rommel is an award-winning author of ten novels and is an award-winning screenwriter. His writing has been called, “Horror for the curious mind.” His first two novels, The Cursed Man and The Lurking Man are at various stages of production to become motion pictures. 2016.

Sunbury Press: When you came into The Cursed Man movie, you’d already been in a very popular movie. Can you tell everyone what movie that is?Jim Tavare: My biggest movie role to date was Tom the Innkeeper in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban but maybe The Cursed Man will change all that! The Potter franchise has been very good to me despite being on screen for a mere 5 minutes. My kids went to all the after parties and met Snape and Dumbledore, I still sign at Harry Potter conventions all over the world and the royalties come in handy too!SP: You play the role of ‘Terry’ in The Cursed Man movie. Can you tell us a little about the character?JT: Terry is the janitor of the hospital. He fights hard to preserve the status quo of the institution he has worked in for many years but things change when the Cursed Man is admitted….SP: You have a very successful career outside of acting. Can you tell everyone what you do?JT: When I first left drama school (RADA) I found the idea of waiting around for the phone to ring a little soul destroying so I embarked on a long stand-up comedy career culminating in my own TV series on BBC and a finalist spot on Last Comic Standing in the US. I’ve since built fans stateside and am able to eke out a pretty good living because acting can be a fickle mistress. I have played in the front of HM the Queen on several occasions and even briefly acquired a reputation as Prince Charles’ favourite comic.SP: Producer Jim Perry just announced the release date as being October 31st … Halloween night, 2016 at the Alex Theater in Glendale, CA. Can we expect to see you there and what do you think of the venue?JT: I will most certainly be there because I live right around the corner! I’m excited because I have two films for release on Halloween. SP: I know people are curious how comedians come up with material. How do you develop material to present to audiences?JT: A lot of my material comes from my everyday experiences. I found when I moved to the US I found an entirely new angle of being the Englishman abroad and this led to a considerable amount of material. I use music in my act to punctuate my comedy. Think I’m the only comic in the world who does stand-up with an upright bass.SP: Can you tell us what it was like to be on the set of Harry Potter, how well the costume fit and whether or not you got to keep it?

JT: My costume was fun to wear and I was in make-up about 3 hours in make each day. When I first joined the cast Alfonso Cuaron told me his favourite movie was the The Young Frankenstein. I said “Hey – mine too!” He said “Then just do Igor!”That is where my huge hump came from. I got to keep one or two of my costume items form the set – namely my prosthetic ears but they disintegrated after about 3 months. I also got to keep the silver garters that held my shirt sleeves up although I think my kids have them now. SP: What is it like behind the scenes when filming a feature?

JT: Waiting, waiting and more waiting…Stand-up comedy is way more solitary than acting but in a movie it’s fun being part of a team and a piece of the jigsaw that completes the story. I really like to collaborate with actors, writers and directors. Acting in film is very technical too and you never stop learning from other people.SP: Did you find anything ‘special’ about the character of Terry you played in The Cursed Man movie?JT: I always try to find some common ground between me and the character I’m playing. I try and make it interesting, however small the role. Acting is about making interesting choices.SP: Please tell everyone what you are up to and where they can find out more about you and follow your career.JT: I have a number of movies in production right now including a nice role in I Spit On Your Grave: Deja Vu and I’m currently working with Grammy Award winning singer Shelby Lynne on her movie The Magnificent Room. I’m always touring my comedy around the world. New tour dates can be found at jimtavare.org or there’s always Twitter….

About the Premiere:
World Premiere of THE CURSED MAN movie – Alex Theatre in Glendale, CA. Halloween Night October 31, 2016 – 7pm to 11pm – Party before and after. This may be the greatest movie premiere on Halloween Night in the History of the Alex Theatre. For more information about the venue, please see: http://www.alextheatre.org/

About the Book:
Alister Kunkle believes death is in love with him. A simple smile from friend or stranger is all it takes to encourage death to kill.

With his family deceased and a path of destruction behind him, Alister sits inside a mental institution, sworn to silence and separated from the rest of the world, haunted by his inability to escape death’s preferential treatment.

But when a beautiful psychologist arrives at the institution and starts offering him care, Alister braces himself for more killings. When none follow, he tries to figure out whether he truly is insane or if death has finally come to him in the form of a woman.

About the Author:
Keith Rommel is an award-winning author of ten novels and is an award-winning screenwriter. His writing has been called, “Horror for the curious mind.” His first two novels, The Cursed Man and The Lurking Man are at various stages of production to become motion pictures. 2016.